Green tea is among the most consumed drinks by man. But can the cat drink green tea? Let’s find out its effects on the cat’s organism.
The second most drunk beverage in the world (after water) is green tea. A millenary drink made from the leaves of Camelia Sinensis, and which has its origin in the Asian continent.
It is estimated that today the consumption of green tea in the world is equal to 5 million tons. It is therefore not easy to deduce that almost certainly in our homes there is at least one pack of green tea-based infusions.
This is not only for its sweet and delicate flavor, but also for its many benefits it brings to our health. It is no coincidence that green tea is known worldwide as an excellent natural remedy for traditional Asian medicine.
But in many of our homes there are four-legged roommates who are number one when it comes to curiosity. Even if the cat is rather selective when it comes to food and “liquids to drink”, it can happen that in a fit of curious madness, attracted by the natural and relaxing scent of green tea, it falls on the cup, which we carelessly left on the table, to taste.
In this case, it is inevitable to ask ourselves a question: can the cat drink green tea? Let’s find out what are the effects of this drink on the cat’s body.
Can the cat drink green tea?
For us, drinking green tea is a real pleasure, thirst-quenching, both hot and cold, it appeals to everyone. But above all for its therapeutic virtues.
Thanks to the catechins contained in the leaves of Camelia Sinensis with which it is produced, green tea is a real mix of healing and beneficial properties for humans.
It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and B and minerals such as magnesium and zinc. Its regular consumption not only stimulates our metabolism, limiting the accumulation of fat but helps our body to always stay fit and healthy.
If for us green tea has so many beneficial virtues, is it the same for the cat or should it be banned from its diet? To find out if the cat can drink green tea, we must focus on one of the main characteristics of green tea and that is the high percentage of caffeine in it.
It is well known that caffeine, due to its exciting effect, can be good for us, waking us up in those days “just not”, but not for our cat. Not only could it make him feel terrible, but if taken in large quantities it would put him at risk of life.
The cat must stay well away from all those drinks that contain caffeine. Coffee, fizzy drinks and green tea are banned from her diet because caffeine is highly toxic to the cat’s body.
If our cat were to absent-mindedly ingest a large amount of green tea, the presence of caffeine in it would cause serious problems to the cat not only to its nervous system but also to the cardiovascular system.
So the question “can the cat drink green tea?” the answer is definitely NO.
The effects of caffeine on the cat
Even just a sip of caffeine (present in green tea and also some fizzy drinks) negatively affects the health of our cat.
Not only because for its exciting property it would transform him into a nervous, restless cat, prey to anxiety and difficult to approach, but it would cause him serious imbalances throughout his organism.
The cat’s deep agitation precipitates the correct functionality of some of its systems, mainly:
- of his respiratory system: breathing becomes difficult and labored;
- of his cardiac apparatus: an acceleration of the heartbeat would be evidenced.
A huge amount of caffeine in the cat’s body is highly toxic to him. Caffeine poisoning is very dangerous for the cat, so it is good to rush to the vet at the first symptoms.
Symptoms of caffeine poisoning are:
- nausea;
- He retched;
- diarrhea;
- tremors;
- arrhythmia;
- raising your body temperature.
And in severe cases of intoxication we have the appearance of:
- Seizures;
- convulsions;
- come;
- death.
What to do if the cat drinks green tea
We have observed that the caffeine present in green tea has very negative effects on the cat’s body. Ingesting even small amounts of green tea can be very dangerous for a cat, especially if it is still a puppy.
The most serious episodes that a cat can experience while drinking green tea are certainly convulsions and sudden fainting, symptoms of poisoning which reflect a very critical picture of the situation, and which can lead our cat to death.
It is therefore good for the health of the cat to pay close attention to where we put the green tea infusions and also our beautiful steaming cups. It is known that the cat is a curious animal and that with its agility it can reach every corner of the house.
But sometimes, unfortunately, attention is not enough, and it can happen that our cat ingests green tea, attracted by the natural scent it emanates (and far from our gaze).
The symptoms we have described previously (such as vomiting, nausea, tremors) are visible already at the beginning of the ingestion of green tea, so it is good when we notice them to act immediately.
How? Bringing our cat to the vet immediately and indicating our concerns and all the symptoms we encountered in the cat.
Giving him the situation in detail will enable the veterinarian to intervene in the manner and with the most appropriate treatment for the case.
Loving our cat, worrying about its health, means that we must never be superficial. Green tea is a pleasure for us but for cats it can turn into a real poison.
